Washington Redskins: 2018 NFL Draft Recap

Going into the 2018 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins possesed the 15th Overall pick after going 8-8 on the season. The Redskins went into the offseason without any key losses on either side of the ball, so the organization had one objective: Take the pressure off of Quarterback Jamies Winston. At the conclusion of Free Agency, where the Redskins were realtively quiet, the team struck a deal with the Cincinatti Bengals to move up to the 11th overall pick. With two top-tier runningbacks in Heisman-winner Joshua Haynseworth and All-American Mike Reese projected to go in the Top-15, the team though the 11th pick was high-enough to secure one of these playmakers. This turned out to be exactly the case, when Mike Reese fell right into the teams lap when their time came with the 11th pick. However, the team didn't pull the trigger.

Passsing on Reese, the Redskins selected Navy WR Spencer , first cousin of All-Pro safety Eric Berry. Berry's athletic profile compared well to All-Pro WR Julio Jones coming into the draft, after Berry officially weighed in at 216lbs and standing at 6'3. Berry added to his case by running a sub 4.4 40, and clocking in a sub 4.00 shuttle time at the Combine. Arguably the most complete wideout in this year's loaded reciever class. Berry wasn't projected to go until the 7th round. Much like Keenan Reynolds from two years ago, teams worried about Berry not being eligible to play in the NFL until he completed his 24 months of active duty. On the evening of the draft, the Redskins were informed by the United States Navy that Berry would be appointed to the Reserves and would be able to play in the NFL immediately. The Redskins changed their plans and selected Berry the second the team was on the clock. Berry should take over as the vertical threat on the Redskins offense for the aging Emmanuel Sanders, and his elite speed should force offenses to respect the deep ball and not stack the box.

The Redskins went after some more dhigh-upside evelopmental prospects throughout the rest of the draft, primarily on the defensive side of the ball. The team double dipped at cornerback, selecting Texas CB RayKale Woodard & USC CB Rashaun Diles in the 3rd and 5th rounds respectively. Neither prospect flashed exceptional athleticism, but both come into the league with relatively sound fundamentals and either could develop into a solid replacement for the aging Darius Butler. Houston OLB Marlin McKenzie was another developmental pick, who flashed exceptional athleticism as a pass rusher but currently lacks the technique to be an impact player on defense. If he can develop technique on par with his athleticism, McKenzie could be a formidable pass-rusher and an adequate replacement for the aging Melvin Ingram. PSU FB George Houston will also likely take over as the team's primary FB and TE2.

Overall, it appears like the Redskins had a pretty solid draft. They didn't blow the doors off the NFL, but they got a clear-cut difference maker with their first pick, and a collection of other players who have the potential to develop into solid players when aging starters begin to regress. Only time will tell if these guys pan out, but it appears like the Redskins have a plan in place to keep the team competitive as long as possible.